The Daily Star - Bangladesh News, Political News, Bangladesh Economy & Videos, Breaking News
IMF prescribes ending tax exemptions
It recommended the National Board of Revenue (NBR) discontinue the tax holiday for the information and communication technology industry and abolish the tax benefit for mining and petroleum extracting companies.
Extortionists on the prowl in Badda
A young man wearing a mask and helmet makes a short visit to a local internet service provider’s office in the capital’s Badda Gudaraghat, and on his way out, he pulls a gun out of his pocket and shoots in the general direction of an employee of the establishment without hitting him.
Govt's bank borrowing rises sharply in July-April
From last July to April 22 this year, government loans from commercial banks amounted to Tk 65,432 crore, according to Bangladesh Bank. In the same 10 months or so of fiscal year 2022-23, it was only Tk 5,334 crore.
Thus Spoke Sher-e-Bangla
Banks asked to find ways to raise forex inflow
The central bank directive came during a meeting between BB Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder and the managing directors of five leading private commercial banks on Sunday.
Schools, Colleges: A reopening that defies heatwave and logic too
The reopening of educational institutions amid the heatwave was marred by two teachers’ deaths and dozens of students becoming sick.
Opinion
Does continuity of a regime guarantee stability and development?
The test of a country’s stability is to what extent it can remain insensitive to any sort of change of government or leadership.
Jails are becoming drug dens
Holistic approach needed to stop drug trade in Bangladeshi prisons
Opinion / Will anyone take responsibility for traffic deaths?
The Eid festivities in April marked a grim milestone with a record number of road traffic accidents and casualties.
Business
Potato price surges during peak season
Potatoes are at least 50 percent costlier than a year ago owing to lower production, tight supply, and the profiteering tendency among a section of people in the supply chain, dealing a blow to the consumers already reeling under higher inflation.
Nat’l Bank not up for merger
Sports
PSG win Ligue 1 title after Monaco defeat
Paris Saint-Germain were confirmed as Ligue 1 champions on Sunday without playing after closest challengers Monaco lost 3-2 away to Lyon.
Fizz takes two as Chennai beat Hyderabad
Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman picked up two wickets and remained economical as his side, Chennai Super Kings, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 78 runs in the Indian Premier League at the Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal beat Tottenham 3-2 to extend Premier League lead
Premier League leaders Arsenal held off a fightback from London rivals Tottenham to win 3-2 on Sunday and move four points clear of Manchester City, who face struggling Nottingham Forest later.
News
Man thrown off the roof on suspicion of theft
A man was beaten, blindfolded, tied up, and thrown off the roof of a nine-storey building on suspicion of theft in Dhaka's Narda area on Thursday. He died two days later while receiving treatment at a city hospital
Consume unpolished rice, rice starch for more nutrition
Speakers tell programme
CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER / Biden takes Trump to task
US President Joe Biden delivered an election-year roast on Saturday night at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner as protesters outside criticized his support for Israel’s war against Hamas.
‘Fear is controlling us’
Palestinians in Rafah told AFP they were living in “constant terror” as Israel vows to push ahead with its planned assault on the south Gaza city flooded with displaced civilians.
Ireland looking to send asylum seekers back to UK: report
Ireland is looking to amend the law to allow the return of asylum seekers to the United Kingdom, broadcaster RTE said yesterday after an influx over the border with Northern Ireland.
My Dhaka / Helping stray animals beat the heat
Dhaka is experiencing the worst possible heat wave and Dhakaites are all chalking out their best-known life hacks and household hacks to beat the heat.
Innovating art promotion
The art scene of Dhaka is quite robust even though it is a challenging business -- one that needs to build a trusted rapport with the buyers. While art is food for your soul, selling artwork is...
Entertainment
Gias Uddin Selim’s ‘Kajol Rekha’ included in DU’s master’s curriculum
“Kajol Rekha” has been included in the curriculum for master’s students in the Department of History at Dhaka University, confirmed the film’s makers on Saturday (April 27).
Well and alive: Dhallywood films retain spot in halls
Following the release of 11 Dhallywood films for and on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, there have been changes in the line-up of movies still screened during the third week. Certain theatres have witnessed a decrease in screenings, while others have seen an increase. Additionally, there's been varied buzz surrounding different films, with some garnering more attention than others.
Guitar played by John Lennon and George Harrison on ‘Help!’ to be auctioned
A rare piece of Beatles history is set to hit the auction block, as a 12-string guitar once wielded by John Lennon and George Harrison during the recording of the iconic album "Help!" goes up for sale. The acoustic Framus “Hootenanny” guitar, believed to have been lost for nearly six decades, will be auctioned by Julien’s Auctions, based in California.
Life & Living
7 Summer Essentials you must have in your bag
7 things you should have in your bag to make summer days a bit more bearable.
Beat the heat: AC shopping demystified
You will be stuck with your purchase for at least a decade, so it is best to do your research before you take the plunge.
#Decor / Stress-free bedroom makeover using furniture sets
Here are three reasons why investing in furniture sets, instead of going for individual pieces, can make your bedroom interior designing project smoother.
Youth
Five school students representing Bangladesh at NASA
Five high school students from Bangladesh have been selected as the global finalists at the Innovation Stage of the 2023-24 Conrad Challenge.
How to write a stellar personal statement
During college admissions season, hundreds of thousands of students across the globe scramble to get their applications in order.
How CHRF is redefining single-cell genomics in Bangladesh
For the first time in Bangladesh, Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF) has successfully generated single-cell genomic (SCG) data for the Human Cell Atlas (HCA).
Tech & Startup
Press release / Bangladeshi users made 3,580 cr. international calls on Imo in 2023
Imo, a messaging and calling app, has reported a significant surge in usage among Bangladeshi users in 2023, with 3,580 crore international calls made over the platform. Bangladesh saw a total of 247.9 billion interactions on Imo in 2023, with each Bangladeshi user communicating approximately 730 times on average, equivalent to about twice a day.
Bangladeshi all-female robotics team to participate in international competition
Code Black, an all-female robotics team from Bangladesh, is participating in the World Science, Environment, and Engineering Competition (WSEEC) 2024, an international robotics event in Jakarta, Indonesia, scheduled from May 12 to 18. The team comprises Jannatul Ferdous Fabin (team leader), Nusrat Zahan Sinha (team management), Nosrat Jahan Nowrin (hardware), Saniea Islam Sara (software), and Tahia Rahman (project manager).
ByteDance says 'no plans' to sell TikTok after US ban law
Chinese tech giant ByteDance has said it has no plans to sell TikTok after a new US law put it on a deadline to divest from the hugely popular video platform or have it banned in the United States
Star Multimedia
Road Surface Melting: Bargain bitumen failing to bear extreme heat
As the country is baking in heatwave, road surfaces in several districts have melted due to what experts say is the use of bitumen that cannot withstand this extreme heat.
Rain comes along with hail in Sreemangal
Find out more on today's Star Newsbytes
Pro-Palestinian protests continue at US universities
Although the United States government has supported Israel, there is a storm of protests in various educational institutions across the United States in favour of Palestine
Locally-made water mist cannons deployed in Narayanganj
The residents of Narayanganj are getting a little respite from the ongoing heatwave as locally-made water mist cannons have been deployed on major roads in the city
Youngsters who showed the world what our robots can do
Competing against 451 teams from 77 countries, the Bangladeshi robotics team "Robonium Bangladesh" clinched the 5th position in the World Robot Olympiad 2023 in the "Future Innovators (Senior)" category, held in Panama
Daily Star Books
Environment
Heatwave: Secondary schools, colleges in 5 districts to remain shut tomorrow
Primary schools to remain open
School which has no fans, windows
Students suffer as Patuakhali’s Pangangashia Secondary Girls School resumes classes in a building which ‘may crumble any day’
2 teachers die in Ctg, Jashore amid heatwave
Two teachers died in Chattogram and Jashore today amid a severe heatwave that is sweeping across the country
Warnings issued as Asia swelters in extreme heatwave
South and Southeast Asia braced for more extreme heat on Sunday as authorities across the region issued health warnings and residents fled to parks and air-conditioned malls for relief
50-year-old man dies in Dhaka amid heatwave
A 50-year-old man died after falling ill while he was travelling on an CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Dhaka’ Jatrabari area amid scorching heat this afternoon
Rain expected in Chattogram, Sylhet divisions
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has issued a forecast indicating rain or thundershowers in the Chattogram and Sylhet divisions within the next 24 hours, starting from 9:00am today
Heatwave alert extended for 72 hours
The Met office has extended the heat alert that the ongoing heatwave is likely to persist for 72 more hours starting this morning
Sudden Hailstorm in Moulvibazar: Over 100 houses destroyed
Over a hundred houses were completely or partially destroyed in a sudden hailstorm in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar early yesterday.
Fact-check
India sieves online deluge to stamp out disinformation in world's biggest election
Just last week, two AI-generated deepfake videos of Bollywood stars criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking a rare third term, and asking people to vote for the opposition Congress went viral, drawing half a million views.
Deepfakes of Bollywood stars spark worries of AI meddling in India election
The two videos have been viewed on social media more than half a million times since last week, a Reuters review shows.
Fact check: Mossad did not describe deceased US airman as 'enemy'
More claims suggesting the remark came from Mossad spread across X and TikTok.
Meta to set up team to counter disinformation, AI abuse in EU elections
European Parliament elections will take place June 6-9. Its 720 lawmakers, together with EU governments, pass new EU policies and laws.
Misinformation and disinformation: A threat to democracy in Bangladesh
In today’s digital age, the spread of misinformation and disinformation has arisen as a major challenge to global democracy.
OpenAI to launch anti-disinformation tools for 2024 elections
The explosive success of text generator ChatGPT spurred a global artificial intelligence revolution but also triggered warnings that such tools could flood the internet with disinformation and sway voters.
Deepfake video targeting Gaibandha-1 candidate surfaces on Facebook
On the day of the National Election 2024, a fabricated video surfaced on Facebook featuring Nahid Niger, an independent candidate for the Gaibandha-1 seat, announcing her withdrawal from the election. Subsequent verification by Dismislab, an online platform specialising in media research and verification, confirmed that the video was a product of AI-based deepfake technology.
Podcast on fake news: Impact of Israel-Hamas conflict on Bangladesh's national election
Uncover the sources and intentions behind these circulating rumors.
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